A Taste of Coronado Cuisine and History
We girls are
always looking for fun and unique things to do with our friends. We need our
girl time away from daily life, time to chat and find out what each other is
doing, how the kids are, the husband, parents, how the job is going plus time
to get out and exercise, try some new foods and learn about different
neighborhoods in San Diego. History and culinary tours in San Diego offer just
that; a great girl’s outing and an afternoon with friends.
So Cal Food
Tours currently offers two different itineraries: one for Friday afternoons and
one for Sunday afternoons. This Sunday the group met at the Tent City Murals at
Glorietta Bay Marina. Owner, tour guide and Coronado resident Barbara Trenchi
told stories of life on Coronado in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s on a
three-hour tour of the south end of the quaint island.
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| Murals of the Tent City Vacation Area |
The tent
murals are a tile mosaic marquis with photos transferred on to the tiles
depicting the seaside resort of the Tent City, south of where the Hotel Del
Coronado now stands.
Between 1900
and 1939 cost-conscious vacationers from around the world would flock to the
seaside resort community of Coronado and stay in one of the 1,000 tents set up
on the Coronado Strand. Started by sugar magnate John D. Spreckels this cost
conscious vacation was priced at $5.00 a week. Although visitors staying in
tents, it was much more than a rustic experience. This family destination
boasted a trolley, carnival booths, a Ferris wheel, and a dance pavilion named
“Casino”. Vacationers could attend a performance at the Pavilion theatre,
stroll the boardwalk that led to a seal tank, visit an ostrich farm and see the
monkey cages. Or they could simply swim in the ocean or bay, take your pick
which side of the strand you wanted to enjoy. One of the many attractions was a
10-cent performance of a horse named Cash diving into a pool of water. Wyatt Earp
even did gun fighting demonstrations in the shooting gallery.
The tour
passed by the ubiquitous Hotel del Coronado, built by Elisha Babcock and
Hampton Story between 1887 and 1897 with the goal of being the “talk of the
Western World”. Built entirely of wood in the Queen Anne Revival style the
hotel features whimsical turrets and an asymmetrical design. The Hotel Del
Coronado currently has a turret wrapped up with a red bow in celebration of its
125 year anniversary. Mr. Spreckels bought the hotel and built his private
residence across the street, which is now the Glorietta Bay Inn.
Next door is
the El Cordova Hotel, originally built as Elisha Babcock’s retirement home and
currently houses the charming and colorful patio restaurant, Miguel’s Cocina.
Over appetizers tour members met and munched tasty chips, salsa and creamy
white sauce. Some of our group enjoyed a margarita along with a sample platter
of zesty Mexican antijitos (starters) of ceviche, rolled tacos and fried
calamari.
Across the
street we went to see the first house that was built in Coronado. It was built
f the first couple who got married at the Hotel Del Coronado. Today a plaque
proclaims it the “Home of a Naval Aviator”. On this day we were fortunate
enough to meet the owner/aviator in front of his house and he regaled us with
stories about flying navy planes with George H.W. Bush. Huge smiles on the
group’s faces reflected the charm of this man and his stories. The house has
neither heat nor insulation. It has been a labor of love to own it and try to
bring it up to this century’s standards.
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| House where Frank L. Baum wrote 2 of the Wizard of Oz books |
We passed by
the house on Star Park Circle where Frank L. Baum wrote two of the Wizard of Oz
books enroute to our next culinary stop, Coronado Taste of Oils, an olive oil
and vinegar store on Orange Avenue.
The group enjoyed meeting the owner,
Roberta Korte, who gifted us with vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate
balsamic vinegar. This heavenly concoction was a very creative use of vinegars.
There were many “Oohs and Aahs”. We were given a paper with the top pairings
and encouraged to roam and try some pairings. A favorite was Peach White
Balsamic and Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You could really spend hours
here trying different recipes. We left the store laden with treasures.
Next stop
was Alexander’s Pizza which has been voted “Best Pizza” of Coronado year after
year. We enjoyed gooey Scooby Snack appetizers (dough balls with red sauce for
dipping) and two pizzas, the highlight for all being a vegetarian pizza.
Refreshing
artisan gelato was served at Bottega Italiano before walking to the house on
Ocean Avenue that once belonged to Mr. Spreckels and now finds itself in the
forefront of a murder/suicide mystery.
We dispersed
from the charming boutique hotel, The Glorietta Bay Inn, overlooking Glorietta
Bay and the Coronado Yacht Club. Mr. & Mrs. Spreckels sure knew how to
live. This lovely property built with the classic simple lines of the Italian
Renaissance style boasts many patios, an Elizabethan garden dotted with colorful
bougainvilleas, a lap pool, a music room with a baby grand piano and an air of
sophistication.
Coronado has
much to be proud of and seeing a tiny bit of it on this tour whets the appetite
to try the next tour. To enjoy a fun afternoon with your girlfriends go to: http://socalfoodtours.com/
or to reserve your space
call 800-979-3370 or 212-209-3370.
Robin Dohrn-Simpson
Freelance Writer
www.robindohrnsimpson.com
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